Washington – Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are introducing legislation that would create an additional federal agency to regulate specific U.S. digital leaders. Depending on the nature of their products and services, technology companies are already regulated by agencies including the Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, Federal Communication Commission, Depart of Commerce, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Transportation, and Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The proposed Digital Consumer Protection Commission, like the FTC, would also be charged with regulating tech companies on competition and consumer privacy issues. The new agency would also be able to regulate emerging tech issues like AI, but it is unclear whether it would be all AI throughout various sectors of the economy, or just a handful of companies the government would decide to target for additional regulations.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has advocated for a competitive tech industry for more than 50 years.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President Matt Schruers:
“Building more bureaucracy won’t help the U.S. win the global innovation race against adversaries abroad. Technology is suffused throughout our economy and technology regulation touches a host of federal agencies – from health care to education to defense, and this bill would harm, not help, federal government efforts to ensure that new and existing technology products and services are safe and effective.”